Bee colony loss survey

A national survey of New Zealand's managed honey bee colonies is helping us understand the state of our managed honey bee colonies. Find out about the results so far.

Surveys will give us baseline information

MPI has contracted Landcare Research to annually survey New Zealand's managed honey bee colonies from 2015 to 2017. The survey looks at the state of our honey bee colonies and the challenges beekeepers are facing. It will provide baseline information for monitoring managed honey bee colony loss and survival over time.

Design of the survey

The survey is based on surveys being used in other countries and adapted for New Zealand in consultation with New Zealand beekeepers.

New Zealand beekeepers are surveyed about:

beekeeping practices

losses of hives (and causes)

queen bee health

treatment for mites (Varroa)

feeding

overcrowding

loss of sites.

2017 survey results

The 2017 survey showed bee colony losses in New Zealand continue to be significantly lower than many other countries. Annual hive losses were reported at 9.84% overall.

2016 survey results

The 2016 survey showed bee hive loss in New Zealand is low-to-average compared to other countries. Over the winter of 2016, only 9.78% were lost in New Zealand compared to 12% in the northern hemisphere. Colony losses in 2016 were statistically the same as in 2015.

Causes of bee colony loss

The commonly reported causes of hive loss in 2016 were:

colony death from events like starvation and extreme temperatures

queen problems such as no queen present, drone-laying queens and queen death

wasps.

Other losses were caused by hive thefts, changes in land access, nectar, pollination sources and overcrowding of bee keeping sites.